Preludes
by Tobias Flies Free
Summary: Some stray rings from the DCU break into the Animorphs universe and choose their bearers. A prologue of sorts to an upcoming story. DC Comics crossover, kind of. AU.


PRELUDES

_I'm planning on starting the actual fic for this sometime in the next couple months, but I wanted to get this out ASAP because I'm so excited about the concept. Basically, I was wondering what would happen if the power rings from DC's _Blackest Night_ storyline (basically like Green Lantern's ring, but embodying different colors/emotions) found their way into the Animorphs verse. The rest of the rings' backstory will be fleshed out in the fic proper._

* * *

"Jake Berenson of Earth."

Jake had two thoughts in the split second before he opened his eyes. _They've found me_ was the first one. It was followed an instant later by _why aren't they killing me?_

His eyes snapped open to see a bright blue light hovering over his face.

"You instill great hope," the booming voice emanating from the light continued.

Jake instinctively raised my hands to shield himself from whatever it was, and it slipped onto his finger. _A ring?_ he thought incredulously.

* * *

Tobias glided quietly through Rachel's window to see her already sitting up in bed, wearing a robe. "Hey," she whispered. "I was expecting you."

‹I couldn't sleep,› Tobias confessed. ‹That weird feeling I've been having all day... it's getting worse by the minute.›

"Do you think the Yeerks are up to something?" Rachel said, a flash of anxiety showing in her eyes.

‹I don't know.› Tobias gave a reasonable approximation of a shrug. ‹It just feels sort of like something is on the cusp of happening. Something big.›

Rachel stroked his crest comfortingly. "It's probably nothing," she soothed. "Something—"

Whatever she'd been about to say was cut off as twin lights, violet and red, swooped through the window twirling around one another. Each light floated up to one of the Animorphs. Rachel immediately started to morph to grizzly, but stopped when they began to talk simultaneously.

"Rachel Berenson of Earth," hers said at the same time as Tobias's said, "Tobias Harris of Earth."

"You have great rage in your heart," the red one intoned, slipping onto Rachel's finger.

"You have much love in your heart," the violet one added, finding its place around one of Tobias's talons. With a flash of violet light, Tobias was a human, wearing the ring on his hand.

The two looked at each other.

"What's going on?" Tobias said, his unnaturally blank face not betraying the fear that made his voice quaver.

"I don't know," Rachel said, unwilling to show the same fear coursing through her veins. "But I think we should—"

Rachel was cut off for the second time that night as she bent over the side of her bed and started vomiting blood.

* * *

Marco was up late doing homework when his ring arrived. And by "doing homework" he actually meant "playing Doom until his eyes wouldn't stay open anymore." With the tinkling crash of broken glass, the streak of green light shot through his window and circled around to face him.

"No way," Marco breathed. He knew what this was. "No way a Green Lantern ring just showed up in my bedroom. I'm dreaming."

"Marco Roussos of Earth," the ring announced imperiously. "You can overcome great fear."

Holding up his hand, Marco watched as the ring slid onto one of his fingers and molded itself to him. He concentrated, and with a flash, he was wearing the uniform he was so familiar with.

"Badass."

* * *

"It's okay," Cassie crooned to the kestrel with the broken wing. She should have been in bed at this hour, but the bird's restless cries had drawn her out to the barn. "Let me just get you a sedative and you'll feel fine."

After taking care of the bird, Cassie started to head back into the house, but was halted in her tracks when a streak of bluish-purple light sped into the barn, looped around her head twice, and stopped just above and in front of her. She tensed up, ready for battle, but the thing seemed content to not attack.

"Cassie Davis of Earth," the glowing thing said. "You feel great compassion."

And with that strange announcement, the ring — for that, of course, is what it was — sped down to her hand and slipped onto a finger, forming itself to the correct shape with a flash of indigo light.

Cassie sat in the barn for a long time staring at the ring on her hand before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The points of light danced around Visser One's head, deftly avoiding his tailblade and moving too quickly to fix his stalk eyes on long enough to see clearly what was happening.

‹Guards!› the Visser shouted in open thought-speech. The Andalite bandits had clearly devised some new weapon to use against him.

‹The time has come, Visser,› Alloran taunted. ‹This new weapon will surely kill me, and you'll die with me.›

‹Be silent!› Visser One ordered. Why did the devices hover, but not attack? Something strange was happening.

Suddenly, the yellow point of light stopped and hovered in front of the Visser's face, giving him his first good look at the object. ‹Some sort of... ring?› Visser One mused.

"Alloran-Semitur-Corass of the Andalite Homeworld," the ring intoned. "You have the ability to instill great fear."

The other ring came to a halt next to the first. "Esplin Nine-Four-Double-Six of the Flet Hal Pool," the orange ring announced. "You want it all."

One ring slid easily onto each hand and molded themselves to the fingers with a flash of light. Visser One felt the power coursing through his stolen Andalite body and gave a wicked smile.


End file.
